Ocala Gazette | March 5 - 11, 2021

March is Women’s History Month

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 36

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021

In Marion County, a vaccine milestone in site Official: The first 50,000 who registered for shots will get appointments by week’s end

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette This week, Marion County health officials should finish setting appointments for the first 50,000 people who

registered for COVID-19 vaccines between late December and early January.

“I was told by this weekend we’ll be done with the 50,000. We have a pretty aggressive schedule

going on this week at the AdventHealth department site at the mall,” said Mark Lander, Florida Department of Health in Marion County administrator, during See Vaccine, page 2

Don Grosner of Candler Hills receives a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination from Joan Matlock, a registered nurse, at the Paddock Mall, on Jan. 22.

The local DOH reported they should finish going through the list of 50,000 people who registered for the vaccine between December and January, this week. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

We Are Family

Council amends “homeless” ordinance The change to the open lodging restriction removes homeless criteria

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette

LPGA returns to Ocala for the first time since 2016 A.J. Piller, 2 1/2, runs ahead of the ball as his mother, Gerina Piller, an LPGA golfer from Roswell, N.M., practices putting on a practice green [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

M

aria Torres spent four years on the women’s golf team at the University of Florida, and the Gators would visit Golden Ocala Golf Club during the preseason for qualifying rounds.

“Last night before going to bed I was like laying down and I was like, oh, I remember this and like when we were like practicing or even going to classes,” Torres said.

“It was nice, that memory lane.

I’m excited to go back.”

The city of Ocala is also excited that the LPGA is back in town for the first time since 2016 for the Drive On Championship

presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala. The course hosted the Coates Golf Championship in 2015 and 2016, but the LPGA hasn’t been back to Marion County since then.

With the pandemic affecting the LPGA’s scheduling, it created opportunities for new events, like

In response to a recent court order prohibiting the arrest of homeless people sleeping in public, the Ocala City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to change the city’s open lodging and trespass ordinance.

Prior to the change, the ordinance allowed police to arrest someone in the city if they were sleeping in public and admitted to being homeless.

Tuesday night’s change removed that section.

During the council meeting on Feb. 16, while introducing the change, Patrick Gilligan, one of the city’s attorneys, told council members that the reference to homelessness was unnecessary.

“We don’t arrest people because they are homeless,” Gilligan said.

“Contrary to popular opinion, our officers exercise tremendous discretion and humanity in dealing with people they deal with.”

In addition to ordering the city to

See LPGA, page 4

See Lodging, page 9

From Ocala and back again Cherrietta Prince’s journey led her all the way home

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette Cherrietta Prince walked onto the University of Florida’s campus in 1971 on solid academic footing.

But at 16, her life skills totaled little more than knowing how to drive. And that was questionable.

She wrecked a car before moving to Gainesville.

But Prince found she had to

grow up quickly as she faced outright prejudice because of her race. Prince is Black.

“I just remember the challenges of it because there was a lot of prejudice still, of course,” Prince said. “There was a lot of that.”

While UF integrated in 1958, Prince was just one of 343 Black students in 1971.

Anti-war protests were also rampant across college campuses

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as students across the country protested the Vietnam war and the 1970 Kent State shooting, where four Kent State students were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard.

On May 9, 1972, in response to news that the United State, under President Richard Nixon at the time, bombed North Vietnam, anti-war demonstrations ripped See Prince, page 2

Cherrietta Prince [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Inside: Opinion..................................... 3 Rental Assistance.................... 5 State News................................ 6 Fire Fee..................................... 11 Sports........................................ 12 Calendar................................... 15

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Vaccines page 1 Tuesday’s Marion County Commission meeting Lander said that they’re administering 1,000 shots per day through Wednesday at the Paddock Mall site before giving out 1,500 second doses each on Thursday and Friday.

Between the shots at the mall site and community outreach events, the DOH hit its goal of going through the list by early March.

The local department of health opened up vaccine registration in December to those 65 and older who wanted to receive the vaccine. The response was so great that it suspended registration in early January. Since then, the state established its registration system at myvaccine.fl.gov Locally, those 65 and older have received 80% of all vaccines in Marion County, and 41% of all Marion County senior citizens have been vaccinated. A total of 53,164 people have been vaccinated

in Marion County, with 31,389 receiving their second shot.

Lander did not have an update on when the county would begin to receive the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently for emergency use. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that the state could receive 175,000 doses this week.

“I have not gotten word how that’s going to be distributed locally to counties,” Lander said. “We just know the state will be getting a portion of that.

“But I would imagine we should see some of that flowing into some of the counties in the near future, which is great. We now have three potential vaccines, with Astra-Zeneca hopefully coming shortly behind, so that would give us four vaccine opportunities within the country and the state of Florida.”

Cases continue to

Tom and Trish Newton, left, wait in line, along with Dallas and Brenda Dressler, right, for their COVID-19 vaccination at the Paddock Mall in January. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

decrease in Marion County after spiking in January.

Lander said that there were 579 positive cases last week

and the positivity rate is down to 7.31%, making it seven weeks in a row where the positivity rate has fallen.

Marion County has had 27,663 cases and 803 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Hog Heaven from the swine as they made their way through the chutes pierced the air like so many offkey singers.

All that was missing was Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest.

All were looking for that golden ticket. The yellow, carbon copy slip of paper was their ticket to A pig peeks out from the chute enclosure as it gets lined up to be weighed during the weigh-in for the big time, the Swine Show at the Southeastern Youth Fair on Feb 25. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] at least for and fittingly, a pork

By Ainslie Lee the students barbecue lunch to close out showing the swine in Ocala Gazette the celebration of the pig. the show. For the pigs The pig festivities started themselves, the trip would The Southeastern Youth two days earlier and felt be one way.

Fair closed on Feb. 27 with a eerily like American Idol.

The Southeastern Youth day dedicated to the pig.

Hundreds of pigs waited Fair’s 46th Annual Swine There was the swine nervously for their chance Show features 4-H and FFA awards, the swine auction at judgment. The squeals members presenting their

pigs which were raised for the meat market.

There were 195 swine at the weigh-in, but not all made the cut. Each hog had to weigh at least 230 pounds.

Brynleigh Durham’s project hog “Jessie” weighed in at 262 pounds.

While easily making weight, Brynleigh’s mom, Amanda Durham, stressed over the animal’s weight up until the last moment.

“Every single day,” Amanda Durham said. “I worried because this is our first year... We panicked. I panicked the whole time.

I panicked this morning. I worried the whole time.”

Just to be safe, Brynleigh stuffed Jessie with a box of Dunkin’ donuts glazed Munchkins just before weigh-in. She admitted to eating a few herself.

“She likes to eat,” the 11-year-old said of Jessie.

Brynleigh, a member of the Caprine 4-H club, started her swine project

on Halloween when Jessie arrived from Noble, Indiana.

As a former participant in the fair’s goat shows, Brynleigh was new to the swine world and did a lot of learning by doing.

When asked what the hardest part of the project was, Brynleigh was quick to spout off her answer.

“Breaking her,” Brynleigh said. “She doesn’t listen to the whip.”

Come Friday, Brynleigh will navigate Jessie through a show ring full of a dozen other exhibitors and their pigs.

“She’s gotten a lot better,” Brynleigh assured.

The nine-day agricultural event featured hundreds of exhibitors showing off and selling a plethora of farm animals, including chicken, steer, goats, lambs and of course hogs. Other project show at the fair include tractor driving, barbecue, home arts and horticulture exhibits.

From Prince, page 1 through the University of Florida’s campus.

Prince was curious and walked toward the protest near Tigert Hall, the university’s administration building.

She saw fire engines using water hoses to disperse the crowd. Prince got no closer.

For Prince demonstrations were something she saw on television not in person.

“You saw it all over the country in the big cities, and I was afraid there would be an all-out riot, which it wasn’t. It ended peacefully,” Prince said. “Having grown up in Ocala, I wasn’t privy to a lot of what these guys who had come from down south and the bigger cities knew. So, I was in the learning process.”

Because of her age and naivete, Prince got her share of teasing.

“They always said I was from Slow-Cala,” Prince laughed.

Willie Jackson, who was one of Florida’s first Black football players, was among those who poked fun at Prince. But he was also one of the ones who encouraged Prince to join the Gators’ inaugural track team in 1973.

According to the UF’s athletic association, not only was Prince one of the first Black athletes to compete on the women’s track and field team, but she was also a part of the first wave of female athletes on campus.

Those distinctions made it even tougher.

“There was nowhere to go with your feelings, your attitudes. There was no one to turn to. We didn’t have any mentors,” Prince said.

“There was so few of us.

We had our coaches, but we didn’t have any women ahead of us to talk about stuff like that. It was all about the boy’s room. They barely had the women’s gyms and barely had the women’s anything. So, it was both (being a woman and being Black).

There were no scholarships for the women on the track team, so Prince hung up her running shoes after just one season.

But it wasn’t long after that Prince learned of other scholarships.

While she had an academic scholarship, which paid for her tuition, there was a whole other world of scholarships and grants that Prince never knew about.

“They had guidance counselors who guided them and made sure they had all the best scholarships,” Prince said.

“So, there was all kinds of resources out there that Ocala didn’t tell me about. That’s the point I’m trying to make about coming from a small town.

I had to figure Cherrietta Prince, the Director of Entrepreneurship Services at the Ocala Metro/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership, does the Gator Chomp as she poses for a photo. [Bruce Ackerthat piece man/Ocala Gazette] out.”

But now she’s back in entrepreneurs,” Prince said.

That realization “Slow-Cala”, where she “So that instilled that in me.” inspired her to seek the works with the Ocala Metro In her role, Prince visits opportunities in life.

Chamber & Economic the IMPACT communities After graduation, she Partnership as the director monthly trying to serve as a lived in Miami. She joined of the IMPACT Initiative. mentor and a resource. the U.S. Marine Corps The initiative Prince said she enjoys and served part of her hopes to bring positive helping eager entrepreneurs stint in Puerto Rico, where economic growth in the during a time of economic she worked towards her communities of West instability. master’s degree in business Ocala, Marion Oaks, and “That background brings administration.

Silver Springs Shores me full circle to today,” After leaving the Marine through entrepreneurship, Prince said. “And why I love Corps, Prince started a according to the CEP what I do because it gives daycare center, followed by a website. me the opportunity to tell transportation business that Prince’s entrepreneurial people there’s resources out still transports veterans to experience is firsthand. there… There’s resources and from the VA. “My family was full of out there for everybody.”

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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Room for improvement Gazette Editorial Board Ocala has long struggled with a large homeless population, a consequence of our sizable number of working poor, lack of affordable housing and temporary shelters.

It should be a source of pride that so many churches, social service agencies and grassroots organizations are so passionately devoted to caring for the homeless and so driven to help many hundreds of individuals and families in crisis from joining their ranks.

And yet, there is a class of people – the chronically homeless – whose numbers seem to swell year in and year out. These are the hard cases. Some are mentally ill.

Others are drug addicted. Some have criminal pasts, anti-social behaviors and other problems that make them ineligible for help from well-meaning programs that place conditions on their assistance.

They are imperfect people, many terribly so. The gospels call them “the least of our brothers,” but they are our brothers – and sisters nonetheless.

If Ocala, as a community, has fallen short in its mission to help the homeless, it is here, with this group of people, who number in the hundreds.

To date, it seems many of the community’s efforts regarding the chronic homeless are punitive in nature. We have enacted and tweaked anti-panhandling ordinances to keep them off street corners and away from citizens who feel threatened or uncomfortable being approached by them. Recently, the City Council’s prohibition against “open lodging” was successfully challenged in federal court because it specifically criminalized homelessness and violates the Constitution’s due process requirement.

But enforcement of an ordinance alone is an insufficient remedy for this problem. Enforcement ensures only that you keep the herd moving down the road until the homeless become someone else’s problem.

It’s an unforgiving cycle where taxpayers foot the bill of jailing the same people for the same violation, sometimes over and over again, and the fines taxed against the homeless

person following each conviction only exacerbate their struggle.

In his federal order, Judge James Moody pointed to the insufficient shelter space in Ocala in his decision, “Currently, there is a minimum of 150 homeless persons on any given night who sleep in unsheltered locations across Ocala and Marion counties. There are 65 emergency shelter beds for single adults in two emergency shelters: (1) Salvation Army (40 beds for men and 20 beds for women), and (2) Interfaith (5 beds for women).

The shelters have eligibility criteria.”

In the case of Salvation Army shelter, the only shelter who takes men, the homeless person must have identification, pass a criminal background check, and meet sobriety requirements. And even then, they are limited to utilizing the shelter 14 days each calendar year, after which he or she is ineligible for admission for a year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Salvation Army has cut its capacity by half.

What is desperately needed is a place for the chronically homeless to go, a place where they can take care of their basic needs, be it a hot meal, a shower, a safe place to sleep and wash their clothes, and beyond that a chance to redeem themselves and improve their lives. We need a low-barrier shelter that accepts people with pets, people who don’t have IDs, who have criminal pasts, eviction records, drug and behavior problems.

We have toyed with the notion for years. Rev. Pat Sheedy, pastor of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Ocala, led the charge to create a pavilion near the downtown area where the homeless could take care of some of their needs, but the City Council rejected the concept.

And Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn has investigated the idea of creating a complex similar to Pinellas County’s wildly successful Safe Harbor in an industrial area of Clearwater, but to this point it is still just an idea.

But maybe the time is right.

An organization called Saving Mercy recently began demolishing part of the former Motor Inns and RV Park at Interstate 75 and State Road 40, which it acquired in May 2018 for $2.3 million, as its next step in creating the Mercy Inn and

RV Park.

Dozens of people currently live in the old motel and in RVs on the site. Saving Mercy leaders have ambitious plans to vastly expand the complex to feature 35 “tiny house” duplexes as well as about a dozen family units and five small apartment buildings.

Saving Mercy is employing a Housing First model that welcomes all comers without requirements.

Only designated sexual predators are forbidden.

Once situated, clients are assigned case workers and services are made available. Those include things like mental health or substance abuse treatment or counseling, like skills classes, assistance obtaining employment, spiritual guidance and planning for a long-term housing and employment solution.

As you might expect, funding is a massive hurdle for Saving Mercy. The organization, which is supported in large part by Rev. Sheedy and Blessed Trinity, has been thrifty in selling off some pieces of the property to pay off its debt. But bringing their vision to life will require millions of dollars in additional capital.

This may be the opportunity we’ve been waiting for, the chance to turn a derelict motel into a lifegiving community where shattered people find hope and begin to see a path to a better life under the guidance of dedicated professionals and volunteers.

This is something we can and should get behind. Imagine the possibilities if area churches, citizens, business leaders and government officials committed their time, talent and treasure to this worthwhile endeavor. How many lives would be changed? How many saved?

As Saving Mercy struggles to get its financial footing, we would ask our leaders – civic, professional, faith and government – to reach out and see what you can do to help. Let’s not let one or two groups shoulder the burden for the chronic homeless problem alone. Let’s make it a community project, a shared act of love and mercy.

For information about the organization, visit Savingmercy.org

Wreath to honor COVID-19 victims placed on downtown square

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette When Debra McCoskeyReisert’s brother, Bobby, died in April of COVID-19, she wanted to do something special in his memory.

“He was extra special,” McCoskey-Reisert said of her brother. “He was intellectually disabled, so even though he was older than me, he was also like a really good kid.”

But she sunk into grief for Robert “Bobby” McCoskey, 55, who died on April 29.

“I’ve been grieving all this time,” she said.

“There’s nothing more horrible that’s ever happened in my life. I was in a very dark hole for a very long time.”

Her husband, Steve Reisert, encouraged her to move forward. Eventually, she found the Floral Heart Project, which planned to lay 100 floral, heart-shaped wreaths around the country on Monday to recognize

the more than 500,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19.

McCoskey-Reisert brought her wreath to the square in downtown Ocala on Monday.

But McCoskey-Reisert, who lives in Citrus Springs, was not alone.

Her husband built the five-foot by fourfoot heart, and Tammy McGinnes and Terri Melton help organized the dozens of flowers in the arrangement.

The project started in April, about the time Bobby died. New York City-based artist Kristina Libby made the first arrangement in her grief.

“I didn’t start out to create a nationwide effort. I laid a heart because I was grieving, and I wanted to do something to recognize our losses,” Libby said in a press release. “From there, the project has grown as others want to recognize the losses in a way that is beautiful and compassionate.

Community matters

now more than ever, and one way we can grow community is by grieving together.”

With national florists providing the flowers, the effort hopes to make March 1 a national day of mourning for those who died of the virus.

Locally, McGinnes was also commemorating her loss. Her uncle, Robert “Bobby” Roumanos, died the day after Christmas.

He was 80 years old.

“It just became bigger than I ever imagined,” McCoskey-Reisert said of the project. “And in such a wonderful way because now our community has a place to go mourn for at least a few days.”

The wreath was on display on the downtown square. For more information about the initiative, visit www. floralheartproject.com.

Debra McCoskey-Reisert of Citrus Springs, right, and Tammy McGinnes of Bronson, left, place flowers on a Floral Heart Project wreath that was placed in memory of people who died from COVID-19 on the Ocala Downtown Square. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Jumbolair sells for $9.5 million

By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette Jumbolair, home to one of the country’s longest private runways, sold recently for $9.5 million.

The sale includes 550 acres, a 7,550-foot-long runway, almost 90,000 square feet in warehouse space, a 7,696-squarefoot mansion and a nearly 9,000-square-foot banquet facility.

The sale closed on Feb. 26 between Jumbo Holding LLC, Frank Merschman and the new owner Jumbolair Development LLC, according to county property records.

Jumbolair Development’s managers are Robert and Debra Bull of Melbourne, according to the Florida Division of Corporations.

Robert Bull is the owner of CMS Mechanical Services, a national commercial heating and air conditioning company.

The deal also includes 19 unsold lots in Jumbolair Aviation Estates, which has access to the runway. Hollywood actor John Travolta owns an almost 20-acre property in the development that includes a 6,600-square-foot home. An accomplished pilot, Travolta’s Boeing 707 jet can park next to the home.

While Bartow McDonald, the listing agent for the property, said the new owners were aviation enthusiasts.

Originally listed for $10.5 million in 2019, the property received worldwide attention from prospective buyers.

“We received multiple offers from a number of people both in the US and a number of other

countries,” McDonald said.

The property has a storied, sometimes tragic, history.

The original mansion on the property belonged to Muriel Vanderbilt Adams, a great-great-granddaughter of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt Adams bred thoroughbreds on 80 acres surrounding the mansion during the 1960s and ’70s.

Desert Vixen, an Eclipse champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, was born on the property.

In 1980, Arthur Jones – the inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment and a colorful figure – purchased the Vanderbilt Adams property and added another 450 acres. Jones built the runway, the warehouse facility and assembled a menagerie of exotic animals, including hundreds of alligators, dozens of elephants and a gorilla named Mickey.

Terri Thayer, Jones’ ex-wife, took over the property after she and Jones divorced in 1989.

She helped develop the aviation community and operated a banquet hall and a bed-andbreakfast.

In 2008, five young men died as they raced on the unlit runway at night. The car they were in drove off the runway.

Frank Merschman took over the property in 2013. He paused the development of the aviation estates and closed the bed-andbreakfast and banquet hall.

McDonald said he didn’t know the new owners’ specific plans for the property but was encouraged by the owners’ interest in aviation.

“I’m very excited about the next chapter of Jumoblair,” he said.

From LPGA, page 1 returning to Ocala after a four-year hiatus.

“I think it’s a really good thing for us,” said Joe Donnelly Golden Ocala general manager. “We love having it, you know, it was very successful the first two years they’re here. The girls like playing here, and yeah, it’s a great thing. We’re really excited for them.”

The four-round tournament starts on Thursday morning and runs through Sunday. Fan attendance has been limited to members of the golf club. However, the tournament will have national exposure on the Golf Channel throughout the weekend.

“I think probably the most important thing is the visibility that it provides,” said Kevin Sheilley, the president and CEO of Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership.

“Having the golfers here, having the women’s golf world specifically and even more generally the golf world overall focused on Ocala, obviously it doesn’t do anything but help our community.”

Sheilley pointed out that, even without large crowds, the golfers and crew will spend money locally. But the national exposure should reap benefits.

“I’m a little selfish here, I hope we have beautiful weather the rest of the week, and that the rest of the country has another snow or ice storm,” Sheilley said. “Because if they get to sit and see sunny Ocala, Florida, while they’re suffering in cold, it probably makes us really, really attractive and helps us stay in front of mind for them.”

Jennifer Song, an LPGA golfer from Orlando, practices putting as her caddy, Andy Techmeier, watches on a practice green. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

County partnership with United Way for rent relief on county commission agenda

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

A

lmost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Marion County Commissioners will consider establishing an $11 million rental and utility assistance fund at their Tuesday meeting.

The money comes from a federal program separate from the CARES Act. While the county will consider a partnership with the United Way of Marion County to administer the money from the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, it abandoned a previous $1 million effort with United

Way to help with mortgage delinquencies using CARES money.

The agency also got $750,000 for rental assistance through CARES, which it distributed. But the $1 million proved too much to handle, said Scot Quintel, United Way president.

“There were a lot of lessons learned,” he said, adding they streamlined processes, added staff and will partner with other organizations to get the word out.

The county did not immediately respond to requests for comments on this story.

They United Way also gets an administration fee of up to 8% on the $11 million, or more than $880,000.

According to the contract, 90% of the money must go

to pay rent or utility bills.

But some, including Renee Thompson, believe the courts need more involvement in the process.

An attorney and local mediator, Thompson will speak to the commission on Tuesday.

“I would also have a concern about the judicial system having a lack of communication as to what’s going on with the tenant and landlord outside of the system,” she said. “There would be a number of items that could be addressed within the system that are not addressed outside of the system.”

In Orange County, for example, the Orange County Bar Association, Community Legal Services of Mid-

Florida and other legal assistance agencies were involved with the effort.

Community Legal Services already deals with many rental issues in Marion County.

Thompson said including the judicial system would give applicants privacy and protection.

“The other concern that I have is when relief monies are provided, there’s an application in the settlement process that the applicants have to go through,” Thompson said.

“And if they go through that during the court process, they’re entitled to a mediation, which entitles them to confidentiality and other protections which are provided by statutes.”

The agreement gives the United Way $1.82 million upfront and increases by $1 million depending on the applications received.

To qualify, at least one person in a family must have qualified for unemployment or experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19.

Also, families must prove a risk of homelessness or housing instability and have a family income 80% or lower of the local Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition to rent, the program also covers electric, gas and water bills.

The money cannot go to mortgage payments or other expenses like cable television.

The county commission meeting starts at 9 a.m.

Making a difference Volunteers from several organizations fanned out across Marion County for the annual United Way Day of Caring. The national effort helps non-profit organizations with facility improvements and other projects.

Karen Hatch scrubs a pan in the kitchen at the Boys and Girls Club in Ocala during the Day of Caring. [Alan Youngblood/Special to the Ocala Gazette]

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State News

Gov. Ron DeSantis gives his State of the State address on Tuesday during the opening day of the Florida Legislative session in Tallahassee. {News Service of Florida]

Off and running 2021 Legislative session starts in Tallahassee

By Jim Saunders News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis launched the 2021 legislative session Tuesday with a State of the State address that touted the state’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and touched on hotbutton issues that lawmakers will face over the next 60 days.

DeSantis did not announce major new initiatives during the 28-minute speech but tried to contrast Florida with what he described as a “calamitous reality” in other states of closed schools and shuttered businesses.

Frequently interrupted by applause as he spoke in the House chamber, DeSantis said Florida took the right approach during the pandemic by focusing on caring for seniors, allowing businesses to reopen and making sure children could receive in-person instruction. He said the consequences of keeping students out of schools in other states will be “catastrophic and long-lasting.”

“The failure of so many places outside of Florida to open schools at the beginning of the school year will go down as one of the biggest policy blunders of our time,” DeSantis said.

He also said Florida will lower flags to halfstaff Wednesday to honor people who have died of COVID-19 and their family members.

About 31,000 Florida residents have died since the pandemic hit

the state last March.

“We are saddened by the thousands of Floridians – and hundreds of thousands of Americans – who have died with COVID,” DeSantis said. “And we sympathize with the family members who in many instances were not even permitted to see their loved ones in person, either in the hospital or at a nursing home.”

The State of the State address is a traditional kickoff for the annual 60-day legislative session. The pandemic will shadow numerous major policy and budget decisions this year and has revamped the way the Legislature operates – as was apparent Tuesday when senators watched the State of the State address on a video screen in their chamber, rather than walking across the Capitol’s fourth floor to join their House counterparts.

DeSantis’ themes about how the state has handled the pandemic largely echoed comments he has made for months.

And while he offered an upbeat picture of the state, Democrats quickly criticized him Tuesday for not addressing issues such as expanding Medicaid to provide health care to more Floridians.

Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer, D-Lighthouse Point, said in a response to DeSantis’ speech that Republicans are “trying to convince Floridians that they’re the party of the people.”

“But their actions tell another, very different story,” Farmer said.

“Their legislation does

nothing for the average working person. They don’t help Floridians weather the pandemic until the economy rebounds, or spur goodpaying jobs. They don’t put food on the table or affordable health care within reach. They don’t better educate our kids or bring more accountability into the education system. And they certainly don’t help build a promising future.”

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat, took issue with DeSantis’ priorities and said people in the state are “still suffering.”

“The priorities of the citizens of our state are making sure we are still wearing masks, that we are still social distancing, that we are protecting our environment, that we are making sure food is accessible to everybody,” Fried said.

As lawmakers have prepared for the session, Republican legislative leaders have repeatedly warned about likely budget reductions because the pandemic has cut into state tax revenues. But as he did when he released a $96.6 billion budget proposal in January, DeSantis offered a rosier financial picture Tuesday.

“The forecasts were dire. The 2021 legislative session was shaping up to be a fiscal nightmare,” he said. “I am pleased to report that our current fiscal outlook is much better than the bleak forecasts from last spring.”

DeSantis also discussed a series of

Marion County’s Legislative Delegation State Senate

Dennis Baxley –District 12

Keith Perry – District 8

Jennifer Bradley – District 5

State House of Representatives

Stan McClain – District 23

Brett Thomas Hage – District 33

Joe Harding – District 22

Yvonne Hayes Hinson – District 20

controversial issues that have started moving forward in the Republican-dominated Legislature. For example, he pointed to legislation that supporters say would help crackdown on violent protests.

“Florida is --- and must remain – a state dedicated to law and order,” DeSantis said.

“When riots broke out across the nation last year, we saw cities ruined by violent mobs.

Law enforcement was targeted and lawlessness prevailed.

This was not – and must never be – tolerated in the state of Florida.”

But the legislation has drawn heavy criticism from

Democrats, who say it is overkill and could be used to restrict people from peacefully protesting. House Minority Co-leader Bobby DuBose, D-Fort Lauderdale, said Tuesday opponents of the measure (HB 1 and SB 484) are worried it “attacks our First Amendment rights.”

DeSantis also touted legislation that would change vote-bymail procedures, an issue that Republicans have pushed across the country after former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

DeSantis acknowledged that Florida had a smooth election in November but said additional

steps are needed to make sure it doesn’t experience problems such as it has had in the past. Democrats, however, contend Republicans are trying to restrict voting by mail, which Democrats used heavily in November.

“It’s tough to imagine this is anything but a reaction to so many voters choosing to vote by mail for the first time, and not voting Republican,” DuBose said in the House Democrats’ response to DeSantis’ speech.

– News Service Assignment Manager Tom Urban contributed to this report.

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

DeSantis expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility Those under 65 deemed “extremely vulnerable” now get greater access

By Jim Saunders News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – While focused on vaccinating seniors since December, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently cleared the way for more people under 65 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

DeSantis issued an executive order late Friday afternoon that allows physicians to vaccinate people “extremely vulnerable” to COVID-19. The executive order also will allow others, including pharmacists to provide shots to those under 65 if physicians deem them extremely vulnerable.

Under a Dec. 23 executive order, only hospitals were allowed to vaccinate people considered extremely vulnerable. But the focus of the order was to vaccinate people 65 or older.

DeSantis’ office did not announce the change but posted the executive order on its website.

The order kept unchanged vaccinations for seniors, long-term care facility residents and staff members and health-care workers who have direct patient contact.

Through Saturday, the state’s Department of Health reported 3,017,661 people vaccinated in Florida.

More than half – 1,680,230 – completed the two-dose series for the Pfizer or Moderna versions of the vaccine.

Marion County reported 53,089 people vaccinated, with 31,208 finished with the series, according to the DOH. For weeks, DeSantis blanketed the state promoting vaccinations for seniors, who are more likely to die from COVID-19. Of the 30,852 deaths in Florida, 83%, or 25,761, were 65

or older. Through Saturday, the state had vaccinated 2.29 million people 65 and older.

Friday’s order does not define “extremely vulnerable.” It leaves it to physicians.

The order follows a Feb. 23 move by DeSantis to open vaccinations to teachers and law enforcement officers 50 and older.

While the governor’s action does not include all school employees, it would cover some area teachers.

While new COVID-19 cases in Florida are down, the state reported 1.9 million cases since the pandemic broke.

DeSantis on Friday also issued an executive order extending for 60 days a state of emergency. The original order came on March 9, as COVID-19 began hitting the state.

The Ocala Gazette contributed to this report.

A registered nurse grabs a syringe of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a Florida Department of Health in Marion County vaccination event in the January file photo. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently expanded the eligibility for the vaccine to those under 65 deemed extremely vulnerable. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Fight over wetland permitting gets new players

By Jim Saunders News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Chamber of Commerce and a major developers’ group are seeking to intervene in a high-stakes lawsuit over a move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to shift permitting authority to the state for projects that affect wetlands.

Attorneys for the Florida Chamber and the Association of Florida Community Developers filed documents Friday in federal district court in Washington, as they seek to help defend the EPA’s decision. The organizations said the motion to intervene in the case is unopposed, though the court had not signed off on their participation as of Wednesday afternoon, according to an online docket.

A coalition of environmental groups filed

the lawsuit in January, contending that the EPA and other federal agencies did not comply with a series of laws in making Florida the third state to have such permitting authority.

But in the documents filed Friday, the Florida Chamber and the Association of Florida Community Developers said their members would be harmed if the permitting authority went from the state back to the federal government.

“Because of the agency action at issue, Chamber and AFCD members are currently subject to the state-administered permitting regime being challenged,” the motion to intervene said. “Success for plaintiffs in this case would result in reversion to the prior, federallyadministered permitting regime, which is ... less responsive and less transparent.”

The EPA on Dec. 17

announced approval of the shift, which involves permitting for dredge and fill activities under part of the federal Clean Water Act. Florida lawmakers in 2018

“If the plaintiffs succeed, then Florida would no longer administer the program, and the protections afforded to permittees under Florida law would crumble.”

-Hopping Green & Sams lawyers

overwhelmingly approved a bill that was an initial step in trying to move authority for the permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis in August submitted a package to the EPA seeking approval.

But the lawsuit filed in January alleges that federal officials violated laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Administrative Procedure Act in making the change.

“This action arises from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s unlawful approval of a state application to assume jurisdiction over the Clean Water Act’s Section 404 permitting program, which regulates the dredging and filling of waters of the United States, including wetlands essential to water quality, storm and climate resiliency, threatened and endangered species and the economy,” said the lawsuit, filed on behalf of

the environmental groups by the Earthjustice legal group. “EPA’s approval is unlawful because the state’s program is not as stringent as federal law and rests on unprecedented arrangements that violate federal law.”

The lawsuit also raised the possibility that other states could similarly pursue permitting authority. Only Michigan and New Jersey have had such authority.

In one of the documents filed Friday, lawyers for the Florida Chamber and the developers’ organization said the “outcome of this litigation could dramatically affect the way” members seek permits.

“If the plaintiffs succeed, then Florida would no longer administer the program, and the protections afforded to permittees under Florida law would crumble,” wrote the lawyers from the Tallahassee-based firm of Hopping Green & Sams.

8

MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Carnival time Olivia Dunlap, Stefanie Campbell and Kim Reiser, left to right, hold on tight as they catch some G’s on the Sky Hawk ride. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Mia Gray, 5, left, and her sister, Ava, 2, ride together in one of the pony carts on the Jr. Jockey ride on the first day of the Trinity Catholic High School Winter Carnival at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Feb. 25. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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People walk through the midway at the Trinity Catholic High School Winter Carnival. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Lodging, page 1

“Joanna,” a homeless woman, keeps all of her belongings next to her in a cart as she sits under her umbrella in a parking lot near the intersection of Northwest First Avenue and Northwest Third Street in Ocala in this July 2020 file photo. The Ocala City Council on Tuesday changed its open lodging ordinance to remove a reference to homeless. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

News in Brief Ocala announces summer camps The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department announced that it will host four summer camps from June 1 through July 30. The following summer camp programs will be offered: • Lily’s Leaping summer camp at Lillian F. Bryant Community Center, 2200 NW 17th Pl. • City Kids summer camp at E.D. Croskey Recreation Center, 1510 NW Fourth St. • Junior and senior summer camp at Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. • Junior Historians summer camp at Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E. Fort King St. In response to COVID-19, safety precautions such as a temperature and health screening at drop-off and staff members and participants being required to wear facial coverings will be implemented.

Camp registration will kick off May 1 for city residents. General registration for non-residents will open on April 1. Registration will be on a firstcome, first-served basis. Fees and ages vary per program.

Detailed information about each camp, including how to register, can be found at ocalafl. org/summercamp or by calling the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at 352-368-5517.

stop arresting people for sleeping in public, U.S. District Judge James Moody also ordered the city to stop issuing trespass warnings without due process.

Gilligan said he met with Ocala Police Department Chief Mike Balken and Mayor Kent Guinn and believes they came up with a due process method that that court would accept.

People issued trespass warnings for public property will be able to appeal those to the police department. The move would require printing new trespass warnings citations, which would include information on how to appeal. Gilligan said the appeals would apply to public property only.

In September 2019, The ACLU

Local public schools part of national COVID-19 study The national COVID-19 Education Deep Dive Longitudinal Study will collect baseline data from districts across the country, including up to 10 in Florida. The study will focus on districts serving Black, Latino and low-income student populations.

The distance-learning study considers students and how they learn in person, online or in a hybrid environment. The goal of the study is to understand the impacts and challenges students face in the world of distant learning.

Both the University of Florida and Marion County Public Schools will share data this spring and continue until the end of the school year through surveys, interviews, progress monitoring and other methods.

Parents, students, educators and administrators will also be considered in the study.

Ocala Gazette publishes fond remembrances of your loved one

CF to present “Motherhood Out Loud”

CF to host Agribusiness career chat

The College of Central Florida’s Visual and Performing Arts Department will showcase “Motherhood Out Loud,” March 12-14, starting at 7:30 p.m. online.

Conceived by Susan R. Rose and Joan Stein, the play is composed of short scenes and monologues authored by 14 different playwrights, including Beth Henley, who wrote “Crimes of the Heart” and Lisa Loomer, who penned “In the Waiting Room”.

The play is pieced together chronologically in life stages and takes on traditional notions about parenthood, unveils its comedy and looks at what unites generations.

The play is free and available to the public.

Tickets can be ordered at showtix4u.com/events/ TheatreCF.

The College of Central Florida’s Business and Technology Department is set to host a free, virtual event about careers in agribusiness on March 10 from 12:15-1:30 p.m.

Participants can expect to hear how they can start preparing for a career in agribusiness and about skills that employers are seeking in today’s job market. Tavis Douglass, program manager for the Agribusiness Management Associate in Science degree at CF, will host the event.

Those interested can register at CF.edu/ BusTechEvents. The first 10 to register and attend will receive a gift and one participant will be selected to receive a grand prize.

For more information about the event, contact Bonnie Hays at haysb@ CF.edu.

WORD FIND

36 days

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 18 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Resolutions Solution: 18 Letters

© 2021 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

Visit ocalagazette.com to submit an obituary

of Florida, Southern Legal Counsel and Andy Pozzuto sued the city on behalf of plaintiffs Patrick McArdle, Courtney Ramsey and Anthony Cummings, arguing the city’s ordinance violated the plaintiff ’s rights under the Eighth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

On Feb. 8, the court ruled arresting homeless people who don’t have access to shelters is cruel and unusual punishment violating the Eighth Amendment.

Issuing trespass warnings without a process for appeal violated the 14th Amendment’s due process clause.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs also are seeking $697,421 in attorneys’ fees and $49,979.58 in expenses from the city.

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Horse Fever Races On There are still chances to see the 20/20 herd of painted equine statues

News in Brief Ocala seeks sculpture contest competitors The City of Ocala has announced a call for entries for the sixth biennial Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition.

The competition is open to artists currently working and residing in the United States with experience in designing, fabricating and installing large outdoor public art. Ten works will be selected for a two-year exhibition in Tuscawilla Park and Tuscawilla Art Park.

Each artist selected for the exhibition will receive a $2,000 honorarium.

Merit Juror, Dr. Rangsook Yoon, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Baker Museum of Artis-Naples, will select Best of Show, second place and honorable mention. Selection in those categories will reap and additional cash reward.

The ten jury-selected sculptures will be installed Jan. 3-14, 2022 and will be on display through January 2024.

For guidelines and information on how to enter the competition, visit ocalafl.org/ sculpture. Deadline for entries is Aug. 3.

For information contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Office at 352-629-8447 or email artinfo@ocalafl.org.

FWC makes changes to protect deer

Carson Collins, 4, left, and his sister, Kinsley, 6, both of Crystal River, peek out from underneath Horse Fever 20/20 horse Celestial Magic by artist Michele Farrar. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Susan Smiley-Height Ocala Gazette The Horse Fever 20/20 herd is now grazing inside the lobby of On Top of the World’s Circle Square Cultural Center at 8395 SW 80th St. “We are honored to host the HF 20/20 herd until March 27,” said Jo Layman, co-chair of Horse Fever 20/20 and general manager of the cultural center.

“Visit the herd Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.”

The chance to see the beautifully painted life-size works of art is free and open to the public.

There also are still opportunities to purchase a ticket for a chance to win one of three of the 15 current herd members in what is called the Giving Collection, and to bid on “Clockwork Fury,” a former herd member, during a live horse sale on March 16 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. complex at 1701 SW 60th Ave. Tickets for the Giving Collection raffle are $100 each.

The drawing will be held June 4. The three horses are “Home

Sweet Home” by Carlynne Hershberger, “Sunny Daze” by Ronda Richley and “Critters”

by Bonnie Eads. They are dedicated in memory of the late Richard “Dick” Hancock, the longtime executive director of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, and one of the earliest supporters of Horse Fever.

“Clockwork Fury” was given back to the Horse Fever 20/20 endeavor by owners Brent and Crystal Fernung, of Journeyman Stud, to serve as an “ambassador.” The Steampunk style steed, created for the 2011 herd by Mark Hershberger, has been updated with fiberoptics and more. Proceeds from the auction of the horse will benefit Florida Thoroughbred Charities, Inc. and the Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA).

The Horse Fever public art project was launched in 2000 and was the seed of formation for the alliance, which has since provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to area artists and arts organizations.

There also was Horse Fever in Motion in 2005 and Horse Fever II in 2011.

The other horses in the 20/20 anniversary herd, and their artists, are: “Legacy,” by Derek Grimsley in memory of the late Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham; “Celestial Magic,” by Michelle Farrar; “Lurking at the Surface,” by Christopher Hershberger, “Winners Circle of Life,” by Esta Mann; “Honey Bee,” by Christian Stanley; “Kind Hearted,” by Maggie Weakley; “Hope,” by Paul Ware; “heART of Florida,” by Tyrus Clutter; “Firecracker,” by Gary Borse; “Secret Places,” by Margaret “Peggy” Watts; and “Slugger” and “Horse Cents,” both by Gene Hotaling.

“Thank you to the cultural center for hosting this unique collection,” said Laurie Zink, an organizer of the initial Horse Fever projects and co-chair of the 20/20 campaign. “I am very pleased they are safely housed in a beautiful area where the public can enjoy them. The Giving Collection and Legacy will be moving to the Brick City Center for the Arts on Monday, March 8, and people can visit them there and get a raffle ticket while they say hello.”

To learn more, visit mcaocala.org/hf-2020

During its recent meeting in February, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule changes prohibiting importing or possessing whole carcasses or high-risk parts of deer, elk, moose, caribou and other species of the deer family originating outside of Florida.

The rule change further protects Florida’s deer populations by deducting the risk of chronic wasting disease, a fatal infectious disease that attacks the brain and central nervous system in deer.

Under approved rules, people may import de-boned meat; finished taxidermy mounts; antlers; hides and skulls, skull caps and teeth if all soft tissue has been removed.

An exception is granted for deer harvested in Georgia or Alabama if the property is bisected by the Florida state line.

The FWC has been testing for CWD in Florida since 2002. The disease has yet be detected in Florida, but exists in 26 other states across the country.

For information about CWD, visit MyFWC. com/CWD.

Ocala to host Tire Amnesty Day A free tire disposal event will be hosted by Ocala on March 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Disposal locations will be at the corner of Northeast 14th Street and Northeast Eighth Avenue, and the Hampton Aquatic Fun Center located at 255 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Residents will be limited to 10 tires, and tires generated by businesses will not be accepted. Tire Amnesty Day is intended for residents living within the city limits. A driver’s license showing a city address may be requested.

For information, contact the City of Ocala Residential Sanitation Division at 352-3516697.

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Trial in Ocala fire fee lawsuit not assured Despite the city preparing for trial, the court has yet to consider the question

By Jennifer Murty Ocala Gazette Ocala is girding for a jury trial, hiring lawyers and expert witnesses to argue the city should pay less than the $81 million it illegally collected for fire services for almost a decade.

Trouble is that trial may never come.

Derek Schroth, the attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, filed a motion on Feb. 15 seeking clarification on the latest order by Judge Robert Hodges on the point.

In January, circuit court judge Robert Hodges

entered an order adopting the 5th District Court of Appeal decision in “in its entirety” ruling that the “City of Ocala’s fire service fee was an unconstitutional tax and remanded the case solely for the establishment of a common fund to refund the illegally collected taxes.”

In regard to how to calculate the amount of the refund, Hodges’ order further stated “The fund shall potentially include an amount equal to all illegal taxes it collected” less the amount owed to those who opted out of the class action suit.

Schroth claims that

the court’s use of the word “potentially” is creating confusion.

Currently, almost 100,000 utility customers make up the class who may qualify for refunds. Schroth indicates that only 529 utility customers have opted out of the suit and claims the city now owes the full amount it collected.

But at the Feb. 2 Ocala City Council meeting, Robert Batsel, an attorney for the city, told the council the final amount owned was still in dispute with “issues, like defenses such as set off that need to be considered, need to be

Tim Herff, a firefighter/paramedic, left, and Tommie Taylor, a fire equipment operator, right, both of Ocala Fire Rescue Station 1. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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dealt with appropriately” through litigation, “not just summarily handled” and that “we got agreement from the judge on that.”

In a set-off defense, the city would argue that it provided the fire services and should get a credit to set-off the damages the court will award the Plaintiff.

Scroth claims the city lost its opportunity to bring up the defense.

“The city’s set-off defense was before the appellate court on appeal and the appellate court ordered refunds of the illegal taxes the city collected. The appellate court rejected all the city’s arguments,” Schroth wrote in an email.

But during his opening statement in the 2019 trial, Schroth argued otherwise indicating that the set-off defense was something to be heard after the court decided if the fee was illegal.

That determination has finally happened.

“In this case the city did not argue that on appeal or at summary judgment and thus waived it. The appellate court ordered the refunds without anyone having to request supplemental relief,” Schroth wrote.

Schroth also argued the set-off defense does not apply in the case.

“There is no set-off defense in an illegal taxation case. The law in Florida is when the government illegally takes your money through coercion, as determined by multiple judges in this case, you have

a right to a refund. The appellate court confirmed in two separate opinions refunds are the remedy when the government illegally takes your money,” he wrote.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Batsel told the councilmen he was moving forward with trial preparation. He said its insurance provider would begin paying the city’s attorney’s fees and trial costs for the case.

They hired two attorneys, Thomas Cloud and Jason Zimmerman, who specialize in class action defense and municipal and public assessments. They also retained Hank Fishkind, an economist, as an expert witness.

Despite the city’s preparations, Schroth said Hodges has not moved toward setting a jury trial.

“No action has been taken to schedule another trial because the city is not entitled to another trial after it already lost. The city is required to refund the money it illegally took,” he wrote.

Batsel declined to comment on the progress of scheduling the trial citing ethical reasons.

Since the Florida Supreme Court has denied hearing the case, local judge Hodges, with or without a jury trial, will be answering the question of how much the city owes the Plaintiffs.

Councilman Jaye Musleh says negotiations for settlement have stopped.

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MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports Patriots win in wild pitch walk off

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette Tied at nine in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on third and one out, Daytona reliever Joshua Finn’s pitch missed the zone, eluded the catcher and bounced off the backstop. Edrick Felix slid into home headfirst, and the Patriots walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to win 10-9.

The two teams combined for 19 runs on 25 hits, and Central Florida (19-5, 1-0) won its first conference game of the season.

“We threw some good arms at them, and they swung the bat really well,” Central Florida coach Marty Smith said. “Every mistake we made they hit, and they swung it well.”

Early in the game, neither team was having much luck on the mound. Freshman Shawn Guilliams gave up a double in the first inning that was followed up with an RBI single. Guilliams

ultimately allowed three runs in five innings on seven hits and two walks despite striking out 11 batters.

Daytona’s Brody Maynard fared even worse in his first inning. With the wind blowing toward the outfield, leadoff hitter Matthew Cedarburg smacked Maynard’s second pitch over the right-center field fence to tie the game.

Redshirt freshman Miguel Useche made it back-to-back solo home runs when he too crushed Maynard’s second offering to right-center field.

Central Florida made it 3-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single hit by redshirt sophomore Garrett Wallace after an errant pickoff attempt put a runner on third.

Wallace moved to third on the play after an error by Daytona right fielder Bobby Sparling. He then scored on a Cedarburg single to make it 4-2.

The Patriots extended the lead to 6-2 with runs in the fifth and sixth

innings. Daytona (10-4, 0-1) countered with three runs in the top of the eighth inning to bring the Falcons within a run. Central Florida then scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a single, three walks, a hit by pitch and a passed ball to take a fairly comfortable 9-5 lead into the top of the ninth.

Patriots reliever Troy Britts immediately gave up a leadoff home run, hit a batter and then gave up a single to the first three batters of the inning. Britts managed to force a ground ball that turned into a double play but allowed a run to score on the play. The Falcons then hit back-toback singles before Britts walked the bases loaded, narrowing the lead to 9-8.

Carter Page then tied the game for Daytona on a liner that hit Britts in the arm and deflected into right field.

Smith pulled Britts and replaced him with righty Logan Clayton. Clayton walked his first batter before

finally getting the Patriots out of the inning.

With one out, Felix got the ball rolling for the Pats after he was drilled with a pitch. Cedarburg then moved him to third on his team-leading third hit of the day. Facing pinch hitter

Kevin Kilpatrick, Finn threw the game-ending wild pitch on the first offering of the at-bat.

“There’s no doubt we can win,” Smith said. “It was kind of ugly today, but it was good to see a good at-bat by Cedarburg in the ninth.”

The College of Central Florida’s Garrett Wallace (17) celebrates with the dugout after scoring on his triple against Daytona State College. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

West Port pounds North Marion 21-2 The Wolf Pack are off to their best start in school history at 6-0

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette The best start in school history for West Port’s softball team only improved on Tuesday night.

The Wolf Pack, ranked 10th in the state in Class 7A in the latest poll from Miracle Sports, thumped North Marion 21-2 on the road to improve to 6-0 on the season.

West Port compiled 20 hits in the victory, and every player had at least one hit in the five-inning game. Through six games, the Wolf Pack have outscored their opponents 78-23.

“One of the biggest things for us is that we just improve on every game, even on a game like this where sometimes, you know, they can get out of control a little bit,” West Port coach William Brewington said. “But as long as my girls can improve from game to game and practice to practice, I tell them all the time that’s what builds a championship team, don’t settle.

What can you improve on?”

North Marion (3-3) entered the game with a high-octane offense that was scoring 12 runs per game, but the Colts had also allowed 11.6 points per game.

On Tuesday night, their offense was silenced while they gave up double-digit runs for the fourth time this season.

Through one inning, it looked like the Colts could keep up with the Wolf Pack.

After West Port scored three runs in the first inning, North Marion turned three singles and an error into two runs to make it a onerun game early on.

Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the second inning.

But from there, North Marion didn’t record a single hit, let alone a run. West Port outscored the Colts 18-0 over the final three frames, including a 10-spot in the top of the fifth inning to seal

the run-rule victory.

Junior Madison Duncan led West Port with four hits, while sophomore Analiz Santiago was the team leader in RBIs with four. Santiago and sophomore Aniyah Dixon both slugged a home run. Sophomore pitcher Ryleigh Bauer pitched all five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, no walks and nine strikeouts.

“I can’t be more proud of these girls for the work that they’ve done and all the girls that even came before them,” Brewington said. “We got a special group of kids, and a lot of them are real, real young. We got good leadership from the seniors, and then it just trickles all the way down to our sophomore class.”

North Marion’s Annalise Hernandez (8) gets the out at third base against West Port’s Madison Coughlin (12). [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

West Port’s Kylie Zimmerman (4) slides safely into third base as North Marion’s Annalise Hernandez (8) waits on the throw. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

13

MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Final Four The Forest High School Wildcats left Ocala on Wednesday on their way to Lakeland for their first FHSAA Basketball Final Four since the 1972-73 season. The team earned their way to the Final Four with a victory on Feb. 26 over Lincoln High School for the Class 6A-District 1 Regional Championship. The team played reigning state champs Bartow High School on Thursday. Forest enters the game with 18-6 record, while Bartow is 19-4. Results were not available at press time. Visit Ocalagazette.com for updates.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Elijah Russell, back, Jaydon Hodge, front

The Forest Wildcat Drum Line

Aaron Stelogeannis, left, and Jeremiah Russell, right

Students and faculty members cheer on the Forest Wildcats

Forest Wildcat basketball players are wished good luck by students as they come out of the gym

Taylor Main, C.J. Daugherty, and Jaydon Hodge

The Forest Wildcats are escorted by two Deputies of the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office motorcycle unit as they leave on a bus to play in the FHSAA Basketball Final Four

Students cheer the on Forest Wildcats

14

MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Playtime with a purpose

People gather in the playground during the ribbon cutting and unveiling of the therapeutic play area at Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection on Northeast 14th Street in Ocala on Feb. 25. Together with the Department of Children and Families and local law enforcement, the specially trained staff at Kimberly’s Center provide a safe, child-friendly environment for children to talk about their abuse and begin healing. The new play area was funded by donations and will allow the children to play in a safe, protected environment.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Dr. J.D. Steed, the former medical director of Kimberly’s Center, goes down a slide during the ribbon cutting and unveiling of the new outdoor therapeutic play area.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Honorable Mentions Ocala Native awarded Naval recognition Scott McGuigan, an Ocala native, recently received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, serving at Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic in Charleston, South Carolina.

“I have the honor of supervising all the practice areas of the NIWC Atlantic Office of General Counsel,” McGuigan said.

“Our attorneys are season experts in federal procurement law and civilian personnel law, and it’s a pleasure to practice alongside them.”

McGuigan graduated from St. John Lutheran in 1997 before going on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of

Central Florida in 2002. He later earned a Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law in 2005.

A romance with heart and soul

By Lanford Wilson

February 25 – March 21 Sponsored by: Ocala’s Good Life Magazine Moonlight magic and love letters bring together an odd pair in 1944 Missouri.

Tickets $30 for adults $15 for ages 18 and younger

celebrating 70 years

4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, Florida 34470

Hospice welcomes new physician Dr. Sheni Meghani has been hired as medical director of palliative care, Hospice of Marion County announced.

“She brings a wealth of experience and leadership in Palliative Care and will help us continue our mission with this vital supportive care to our community,” said Rick Bourne, Hospice of Marion County CEO. Meghani has previously served similar roles in Kansas,

Iowa and Alabama.

She has also given presentations across the U.S. and in India and has been published by the “Journal of Pain and Symptom Management”.

Her clinical experience began in 1995 as a resident, followed by chief resident, in India before finishing her residency at SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn.

Meghani holds board certifications from the

American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine and American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

CF Forensics team wins big The College of Central Florida’s Forensics team reeled in eight state titles in addition to other public speaking and interpretation awards at the Florida College System Activities Association Forensics State Championship (FCSSA) on Feb. 5-6 and at the Florida Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Championship on Feb. 19-21.

CF’s team won the Readers Theater State Champions and finished in second place in overall team sweeps and individual events team sweeps in the FCSSA competition.

Eileen Hernandez was named the state champion in three events, including poetry

(interpretation), Persuasive and communication analysis (speaking).

Meanwhile, first-year members Edgar Soto (three awards) and Macy Ryan (two awards) also contributed for CF. Forensics coach Matthew Maddex was also voted FCSSA Coach of the Year.

In the FIFA competition, CF was named the state champion in Readers Theater and in the Limited Entry Division. Hernandez was also named the state champion in communication analysis and persuasive speaking.

In winning the persuasive speaking event, Hernandez also nabbed and invitation to compete at the

Interstate Oratory Association, the oldest speaking competition in the United States.

Hernandez and one other competitor from Florida will compete in the national contest in April.

Ryan was also named top novice in poetry interpretation at the FIFA competition, where CF took fourth place in individual event sweeps and fifth in overall team sweeps.

This is the most state titles that the CF Forensics team has ever won at the two Florida stat competition. This year also marks the first time that CF had won Readers Theater and Persuasive Speaking at both state competitions.

15

MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Now -4/3 Bow -4/3 3/4

Community Chain Reaction Charlie

Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. Saturday 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Friday 10am-12:30 and 2:304:30pm This new exhibit allows kids of all ages to get hands-on in Charlie’s garden, tree house and workshop to make incredible new inventions. Visit mydiscoverycenter.org for more information.

Photos with Bunny

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road Times vary A new set features safe and socially distanced opportunities for photos of little ones with the Easter bunny. Visit paddockmall. com for the schedule and more information.

3/10

Agribusiness Career Event

3/10

Wednesday Midday Market

3/11

Farmers Market

3/11

YPO Leaders Lunch

Water Circus

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2200 NE Jacksonville Road 7:30pm Cirque Italia’s show under the big top celebrates the 1950s.

Visit cirqueitalia.com for more information.

3/5

Pollinators

3/5 -7

WEC Winter Spectacular

3/5 -7

Grand Oaks Live Combined Driving Event

3/5 -28

The Villages Polo

3/5

Marion Oaks Farmers Market

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St. 10-11am All ages are invited to this free event in the fort’s heritage teaching garden to conduct experiments and make crafts. Visit ocalafl.org for more information.

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave. 8am Spectators are welcome at hunter/jumper events. Parking is free, restaurants are open and leashed dogs are permitted.

Visit wec.net for more information.

Grand Oaks Resort, 3000 Marion County Road, Weirsdale This U.S. Equestrian Federation combined driving event for all levels features fast-paced horse and carriage driving. Visit thegrandoaks.com for more information.

The Villages Polo Club, 703 N Buena Vista Blvd, The Villages April 2-30 | 3pm Fridays, 1pm Sundays Watch competitive matches from the club’s elevated two-level stadium with optional tailgating. Visit thevillagespoloclub.com for tickets and more information.

Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Lane 9am-12pm Fresh vegetables, artisan food products and handmade crafts.

3/5

Marion County Friday Market

3/6 -7

Sunshine State Open Pleasure Show

3/6

Ocala Downtown Market

3/6

Brownwood Farmers Market

3/6

NamaSitStay Dog Yoga & Pup Pilates

3/6

Seuss-a-palooza

3/7

Ocala Cars & Coffee

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am-2pm Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, cinnamon buns, jerky, freeze dried treats, olive oils and seafood.

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S County Road 475 9am Youth and adult riders will show off their equestrian skills in this competition featuring both Western and English styles. Visit sunshinestatepleasureshowseries.com for more information.

Virtual 12:15-1:30pm The College of Central Florida will offer information about agribusiness career training and skills. Register at cf.edu/ bustechevents.

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. 1-6pm Shop a selection of produce, meat, natural and handmade products and food trucks. ocaladowntownmarket.com

Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St. 9am-1pm Locally grown seasonal produce, baked goods, plants and more. Visit circlesquarecommons.com/farmersmarket for more information.

Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, 310 SE Third St. 11:30am-1pm The CEP’s Young Professionals will host a panel discussion on “Developing a Community Plan to End Homelessness.” Free for YPO members; RSVP to andrea@ocalacep.com.

Now -3/15

My Favorite Things

Now -3/18

Works

Now -3/21

Talley’s Folly

Arts

Barbara G. Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave. 9am-4pm This City of Ocala Art in City Spaces exhibit showcases works created by families and relatives of city employees which illustrate their favorite things. Open Monday through Friday.

Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Ocala Recreation and Parks, 828 NE Eighth Ave. 9am-5pm An exhibit featuring the hand-embellished fabric designs of quilter and textile artist Ginny Avnaim. Open Monday through Friday. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

Thursday-Saturday 7:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 2pm Set on a Missouri farm in 1944, this play shares the touching romance of two kindred spirits brought together by love letters.

Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for tickets.

Now ARC in the Arts -3/22

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Monday-Friday 9am-5pm An exhibit of art created by participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the adult day training program at ARC Marion Inc. Each piece of a unique reflection of the individual and is for sale to benefit the organization. Visit mcarc.com for more information.

Now It’s Color Pencil -3/25

CF Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road 10am-4pm This exhibition, in partnership with the Color Pencil Society of America, features fine artwork of all styles and subjects completed in colored pencil and will be judged by Appleton Museum of Art curator Patricia Tomlinson. Open Monday through Thursday. Visit cf.edu for more information.

310 SE Third St. 9am-2pm A variety of vendors offer local fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, fresh pasta, honey, arts and crafts, rain or shine. Visit ocaladowntownmarket.com for more information.

2726 Brownwood Blvd., Wildwood 9am-1pm More than 70 vendors offer fresh produce and crafts. Visit thevillagesentertainment.com for more information.

Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave. 10-11am Bring your furry friend and yoga mat and do gentle stretches with the K9 Fit Club. Visit fb.com/ocalarecpark for more information.

Virtual 11am-3pm Marion County Public Library’s annual Dr. Seuss reading celebration goes online this year with local readers sharing their favorite titles. Visit fb.com/mcplibrary for details.

War Horse Harley-Davidson, 5331 N U.S. 441 7:30-11:30am A family friendly display of unique cars, trucks and motorcycles with coffee beverages and live music. Visit warhorseharley.com for more information.

It’s Color Pencil. Courtesy of The Appleton Museum of Art.

Ocala Veg Fest

Now Horse Fever 20/20 -3/27

3/7

International Women’s Day Celebration

Now Memories & Inspiration -3/28

3/10

1 Million Cups Ocala

3/7

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. 10am-3pm Enjoy a vegan celebration with live music, presentations, exhibits and food vendors. Visit ocalavegfest.org for more information.

NOMA Ocala, 939 N. Magnolia Ave. 1-3pm Organized by Ollin Women International, the hybrid inperson/online event will honor Marion County women in the sciences. Visit ollinwomen.org for more information.

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 9:30-10:30am Two local startups present their business idea to an audience of community entrepreneurs. Email ryan@ocalacep.com for more information.

Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St. 11am-2pm Meet the new herd of handpainted statues on exhibit MondaySaturday. Visit mcaocala.org/hf-2020 for more information.

Appleton Museum of Art 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, 12-5pm Sunday The Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American art exhibition celebrates the passion of a couple who amassed a collection of more than 300 works over 35 years. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now The Art of Adventure -4/25

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm An exhibition of 1970s serigraphs by Clayton Pond highlighting artworks from Pond’s “Leisure-time Obsessions Series.” Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

16

MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Now Luminous Worlds -6/27

3/8

City of Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission

3/5

3/8

Dunnellon City Council

3/8

Marion County Historical Commission

3/9

Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Board

3/9

City of Belleview Planning & Zoning Board

3/9

City of Dunnellon Historic Preservation Board

3/9

Marion County License Review Board

3/10

Marion County Code Enforcement Board

3/11

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm An exhibition featuring the large abstract canvases of Kristin Herzog, a Naples, Florida-based artist and former civil engineering draftsman. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

3/5

Monochromatic March

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm An exhibition featuring single-color works by Marion Cultural Alliance artist members in all mediums, sizes and styles.

Opening reception March 5, 5–6:30pm; exhibit open TuesdaySaturday through March 27. Visit mcaocala.org for more information.

First Friday Art Walk: Retro Sounds

Ocala Downtown Square 6-9pm This month’s event celebrates the 1970s with a performance by tribute artists Bee Gees Now and a classic car display from Ocala Car Cruisers. Stroll 15 artist displays and enjoy free family art activities and extended shopping hours. Visit ocalafl. org/artwalk for more information.

3/5 -3/6

9 to 5: The Musical

3/8

Arts Symposium: From Inspiration to Creation

3/9

3/8

3/8

The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, 1051 Main St., The Villages Tuesday-Saturday 7pm, Saturday 2pm The riotous musical comedy based on the 1980 movie features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. Visit thesharon.com for tickets.

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

5-7pm A panel of local arts leaders will share their insight into the creative process and Ocala’s arts scene in a free 90-minute event exploring the power of hope and the arts’ potential to transform and renew individuals and communities.

Reservations required at ocalacvictheatre.com.

Teaching Tuesday: Collage Dog

Virtual 10-10:30am The Appleton Museum presents a live streaming art project that the whole family can make at home with basic art and craft supplies. Online at fb.com/appletonmuseum.

Government Marion County Development Review Committee

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave. 9am The DRC votes on waiver requests, drainage/site plans, subdivision master plans, preliminary plats, improvement plans and final plats. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

City of Belleview Site Plan Committee

City Hall Commission Room, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 9am Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. 5:30pm Also accessible online at https://zoom.us/j/97314299662. Call (352) 629-8404 for more information.

Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr., Dunnellon 5:30pm Call (352) 465-8500 for more information.

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 6pm For more information, call Rolando Sosa at (352) 620-0944.

Growth Services Training Room, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

9:30am Call (352) 438-2475 for more information.

City Hall Commission Room, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr., Dunnellon 5:30pm Call (352) 465-8500 for more information.

Growth Services Training Room, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

6pm The License Review Board hears and investigate complaints regarding competency of licensed contractors. Call (352) 4382428 for more information.

Ocala Public Library, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

9am The Code Enforcement Board hears and resolves cases in which there is a code violation dispute. Call (352) 671-8900 for more information.

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave. 8:30am Applicants may discuss proposed or current projects with county review staff prior to meeting formally with the Development Review Committee. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 5

5

5pm Bill Forness Johnny Cash Tribute World Equestrian Center

5

6pm Jeff Jarrett

6

6:30pm Stephen Lopez

7pm The Music of George Strait

6

7pm John Johnson

6

7pm Miranda Madison The Corkscrew

2:30 & 7pm Rhonda Vincent

3pm Kip

6

3pm Groove 41

6

6pm Dallas Tyler Locos Grill & Pub

6:30pm Becky Sinn

7pm Humans in Disguise

6

8pm The Big Bad

7

8pm Switch N’ Whisky

7

7:30am Jeff Jarrett War Horse Harley-Davidson

1pm Charity Cox The Crazy Cucumber

7

1pm The Big Bad Gator Joe’s

7

First & Last Tab

7

12pm Brandon Dull Shuckin’ Shack

Bank Street Patio Bar

6

10:30am Miranda Madison Bank Street Patio Bar

Charlie Horse

Our Place Saloon

6

7

La Cuisine French Restaurant

World Equestrian Center

Horse & Hounds

5

6

Orange Blossom Opry

Orange Blossom Opry

5

10:30am Brandon Dull

6pm John Johnson Shuckin’ Shack

Ocala Downtown Market

The Crazy Cucumber

5

6

O’Malley’s Alley

Shuckin’ Shack

5

10pm Becky Sinn

4pm Gilly & the Girl Bank Street Patio Bar

11

7pm John Johnson Horse & Hounds

17

MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Marion Theatre March Showings Friday, March 5, 2021 2:30pm Inside Out (2015) 5:30pm Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 8:00pm Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Thursday, March 18, 2021 2:30pm Frozen (2013) 5:30pm Ready Player One (2018) 8:30pm Urban Cowboy (1980)

Saturday, March 6, 2021 11:30am Inside Out (2015) 2:00pm Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 5:00pm Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 8:00pm Grease (1978)

Friday, March 19, 2021 2:30pm Ready Player One (2018) 5:20pm Urban Cowboy (1980) 8:05pm City Slickers (1991)

Sunday, March 7, 2021 2:00pm Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 4:30pm Grease (1978) Thursday, March 11, 2021 2:30pm Rango (2011) 4:45pm The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966) 8:00pm Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) Friday, March 12, 2021 2:30pm Saturday Night Fever (1977) 5:30pm Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) 8:00pm The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966) Saturday, March 13, 2021 11:30am Rango (2011) 2:00pm The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966) 5:30pm Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) 8:00pm Saturday Night Fever (1977) Sunday, March 14, 2021 2:00pm Saturday Night Fever (1977) 4:30pm Rango (2011)

Saturday, March 20, 2021 11:30am Frozen (2013) 2:00pm Urban Cowboy (1980) 5:00pm City Slickers (1991) 8:00pm Ready Player One (2018) Sunday, March 21, 2021 2:00pm City Slickers (1991) 4:30pm Frozen (2013) Thursday, March 25, 2021 2:30pm No Country for Old Men (2007) 5:15pm Pulp Fiction (1994) 8:20pm Chicago (2002) Friday, March 26, 2021 2:30pm The Angry Birds Movie (2016) 5:30pm Chicago (2002) 8:00pm Pulp Fiction (1994) Saturday, March 27, 2021 11:30am The Angry Birds Movie (2016) 2:00pm Chicago (2002) 5:00pm No Country for Old Men (2007) 8:00pm Pulp Fiction (1994) Sunday, March 28, 2021 2:00pm Chicago (2002) 4:30pm No Country for Old Men (2007)

Due to current guidelines restricting the operation of theatre, the Marion still operates at a safe and reduced capacity. The venue, which traditionally holds around 300 guests, is limited to no more than 60 guests per film/event.

The Marion Theatre’s event calendar, showtimes, and ticket information can be found at www.MarionTheatre.org you can also stay up to date on event updates by following the Marion Theatre on Facebook at Ocala’s Marion Theatre.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Flu numbers crater COVID-19 mitigation measures cited for drop

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have

been widespread, Marion County has seen a sharp decrease in ER visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) thanks to social distancing and precautions against

COVID-19, according to local health officials.

Marion County averaged 300 visits per week for the flu in February of 2019 and 276.75 per week last

February. This year, as residents socially distanced and wore masks, the county reported just 26.33 visits per week in February.

It’s a trend seen since the start of the pandemic.

In 2020, the county had 289.6 ILI-related ER visits per week in January and 276.75 per week in February.

However, ER visits plummeted to 124 per week in March.

“We’ve seen much lower numbers coming out of all these

other areas, and if you look at it, a big part to consider is because of mitigation practices,” said Mark Lander, Florida Department of Health in Marion County administrator. “We’ve been a world that’s been masking, social distancing and these measures are all measures to control COVID typically can work against the flu virus.”

Flu numbers are down across the board in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s weekly influenza surveillance report for the week ending on Feb. 20, all 50 states were reporting minimal flu activity.

The US has also seen high numbers of people seeking flu vaccines. As of Feb. 12, 193.7 million flu vaccines have been distributed across the country, according to the CDC.

Answers for pages 8,9

Call Lee When It’s Time For Your Next Move!

That’s why our ER experts stand ready 24/7 to care for you.

AHO-583

Someone is accidentally injured every second Unexpected moments happen. When they do you can trust our ER experts at Marion County’s only dedicated Children’s Emergency Department to safely care for you. And, we’ve made it easy to schedule an emergency room visit online so you can wait in the comfort of home and arrive at a time convenient for you.

Schedule online at GetInQuickER.com.

In case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911

AHO-583 OG InQuickER PEDS 10x10.125.indd 1

2/8/21 12:18 PM